Man Reunite With Stolen Wallet After 35 Years, Thanks To Facebook

daniel russell

March 28, 2015 6:09 PM

John Steel, then 10, was asleep in a seaside caravan when a thief broke in and stole the wallet but now it has been returned to him thanks to an amateur sleuth

A man has been reunited with his wallet – 35 years after its theft on a childhood holiday.

John Steel, then 10, was asleep in a seaside caravan when a thief broke in and stole the wallet.

He had long forgotten it when builders found the wallet – with a £1 note and schoolboy photo in it – in the wall of a house once part of a pub near the caravan park.

Shelley Davies, owner of the house in Shaldon, Devon, said Mr Steel, now 45, was “quite amazed” when she found him through Facebook using the name and address he had written on the snap.

Mr Steel, of Neston, Wilts – who was away with a friend and their family when the thief struck – said: “My friend’s dad woke up just in time to see someone climbing out of the window.”

He added: “It’s nice to know there are still good people around. I’m not sure what to spend the £1 note on, though.”

After builders found the wallet, it was discovered John had written his name along with his then address.

The workmen who found the wallet were installing a kitchen extension at Shelley Davies's home,which was part of a pub when John stayed at the nearby caravan park in Shaldon, Devon.

Shelley decided to turn detective in a bid to find the boy in the photo.

She posted a picture on John's home town's website and some of his friends recognised him and tracked him down.

Shelly said: "I think John is quite amazed and really really pleased.

"The sentimental value is huge, but the £1 note isn't going to get him very far these days."

daniel russell